Awkward Encounters at the Local Graveyard
by Keynn
Summary: If Rukia is dynamite, then Ichigo is the fire which set her off. – IchiRuki
1. Chapter 1

_AU Prompt: "Sometimes I steal flowers from your garden on my way to the cemetery, but today you've caught me and have demanded to come with me to make sure the "girl is pretty enough to warrant flower theft" and I'm trying to figure out how to break it to you that we're on our way to a graveyard"_

* * *

 **Awkward Encounters at the Local Graveyard**

 _IchiRuki_

* * *

Okay, so in his heart, Ichigo really does know that stealing is wrong … but then … he also knows that the nearest flower shop from his house is in the opposite direction of the graveyard. Several miles in the opposite direction, in fact. And it's only one or two flowers, nothing major, and he is sincere in his promise that one day he will confront the owner of the garden and reimburse them for all that he's taken over the past couple of years. Ichigo is not inherently a thief, after all, he just happens to be kind of tight on money — and not in possession of a car. That's what happens when your once prosperous doctor-father starts his own clinic and is incapable of turning away even the most financially unstable. Ichigo doesn't hold this against him, his father is a lot of things, but a bad person is not one of them

When the garden house peaks out around the corner, Ichigo is glad to see that the flowers nearest to the street are in full bloom. The rose bushes at the forefront of the driveway bloom near constantly and are usually what Ichigo goes for, but tulips are nice, too. He's also pretty relieved to see that there aren't any cars in the driveway and that all but the front light is on. It's nearing evening and the sun's pretty close to being gone so it's a good bet that no one is home. He grabs one tulip and breaks it off at the stem and is in the process of getting the second when something connects with the back of his knee (is that a child?) and he comes crumpling down. There's a distinctive "Ah ha!" from above him.

"What the hell?" He shouts, twisting around to glare at his assailant; but she's glaring back at him with a kind of ferocity that almost makes him falter. Almost.

"You're the idiot who keeps grabbing my flowers!" She demands. She is clearly not a child (she's got to be in her twenties) but she's still short and Ichigo is kind of having a hard time taking her seriously. Behind her, propped up against one of the brick entrance pillars is a bike. "Every time I come out here and have to look at the damage you've caused I want to murder you — do you know how bad it looks when a tulip plant is missing its flower? It looks bad, it only grows one flower it's not like it can be covered up you moron. It just sits there and looks unpleasant for all the world to see." She's crossed her arms over her chest like a defensive chipmunk. Her anger is almost endearing, if it weren't also directed at Ichigo … He stands up, brushes off his jeans and then retrieves the remarkably unfazed flower.

"It's just a couple of flowers," Ichigo grunts.

"They're a couple flowers that I work very hard to make sure grow. I kind of wish I could enjoy them." The woman has relaxed a bit, like it's hard for her to stay angry for any long period of time.

"Look," says Ichigo, "sorry. I'll pay you back — but can I just have these? They're … for someone, and I'm running late."

"Are you kidding me?" The girl glares, "you really just expect me to let you walk off after stealing from me for years. No way, fruit head —"

"…Fruit head?"

"I wanna see what kind of girl is so important that you would steal flowers for her for two years. Two. Years, dumbass."

"Okay, look, midget. I've got a name. Ichigo. Stop with all of the insults."

"Your name is literally strawberry…" The girl grins.

"Fuck off," Ichigo frowns.

"You should be nicer to the girl who has single-handedly saved your relationship, strawberry."

"Ichigo—" Ichigo scowls.

"Strawberry," the girl rebukes.

"— and you didn't save my relationship; you really think I need flowers to keep a relationship going?"

"Everybody needs flowers to save a relationship. They'll get you out of all sorts of stuff … or into it," she winks. Ichigo throws a hand over his face to hide the blush on his cheeks.

"I don't have time for this," he groans and then pushes past the girl, striding down the walk way. His flustered state keeps him from noticing that he's got a follower until a minute or so later. When he turns on her suddenly she's strolling behind him, hands clasped behind her back, looking, unabashedly at him.

"What the hell," Ichigo growls, "don't you have something better to do?"

"No," says the girl bluntly. "I told you, I want to meet this girl."

"Why?" Ichigo frowns. The girl is silent for a moment.

"Lets call it curiosity," she says finally.

Ichigo tries a couple more times to shake her, but she's moved to his side and has stopped responding so it's pretty clear she has no intention of turning around. With their new established reality Ichigo is becoming more anxious. He is, after all, not meeting a girl — he's not even in a relationship. And there's no great way to tell his persecutor that they're on their way to a graveyard to see his dead mother. He could go somewhere, to a coffee shop maybe? And then pretend like he's been stood up, but that feels like a blow to his pride, and he's not familiar enough with the area to know where to find a coffee shop. His next best option is sincerity …

"Please don't do this to me, …"

"Rukia," supplies the girl.

"Rukia," Ichigo finishes. "You really don't want to do this."

"Why?" says Rukia, she glances up. She's got to be a good head shorter than him, it's almost laughable. But then, she's also much more intimidating than her height should let her be given that she's still got someway of looking down at him even as she looks up at him.

"Just … trust me, midget." She glares and Ichigo knows he's just messed up whatever chance he had to get her to leave him alone.

Ichigo's getting pretty uncomfortable by the time the graveyard comes into view. Rukia either hasn't put the pieces together yet or hasn't noticed the graveyard because she's still got steel in her eyes. Which is completely unnecessary, it was only a couple of stupid flowers, why is this such a big deal to her? She's been glancing at him every few minutes … and he's been doing the same. She's not … wholly unattractive and if the circumstances were slightly different and she weren't such a raging pain in the ass he'd probably invest a little more time in that thought.

"Look," says Ichigo. Rukia turns her head slightly, not to look at him but to acknowledge that she's heard him. "We're not … meeting a girl—" he bites out. Rukia jerks up to look at him. "I mean," Ichigo rubs his neck awkwardly and scowls at a distant cloud, painted orange by the setting sun. "Technically we are, but…"

"Not great at the whole talking thing there are you, strawberry." Rukia grins. And her words only make it harder. They stop in front of the graveyard entrance.

"We're here…" says Ichigo, the hand not holding the flowers is deep in his jean pocket. Rukia pivots, sees the rod iron entrance and her whole face lights up with realization.

"Oh fuck," she mutters. For a moment she seems to contemplate what to say. Ichigo gets it, it's awkward. Nothing she could say or he could say would make it any less awkward. He walks past her, makes his way to a plot of land in the far left of the field of headstones. His mother's is clean and well manicured. Rukia follows behind silently.

"Who is she?" Rukia asks, after Ichigo has said his prayer and removed the old flowers. He stands up beside her. Her hands are in the pockets of her dress and she's standing a reasonable distance back.

"My mom," says Ichigo.

"I'm sorry," says Rukia simply. Ichigo has always appreciated the simplicity of the statement. For awhile they are silent. Ichigo takes this time to reflect on his mother's life and presumably Rukia is reflecting on what happened to result in her being here. But after a time she kneels down beside the grave and pulls something out of her pocket and lays them on top of the grass.

"Flower seeds," she explains. "They're what I was buying just before I caught you stealing," she turns on him then, grins. "I guess I can forgive you, by the way. But only because she seems like a really great girl."

"She was an amazing woman," says Ichigo, gives a grin of his own. "Sorry I stole your flowers, midget."

"It's fine, strawberry," Rukia says. "I'll uh, leave you two alone now." She turns, and just before leaving she lightly taps his shin with her foot. "Don't let me catch you doing it again," she smiles.

* * *

 _Update, July 2015; This story is now just that: a full blown story. Please continue to read!_

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 _Cross-posted on Ao3._

 _The prompt comes from Awful-AUs on Tumblr. There'll be at least one more chapter so stay tuned if you're interested, I'll probably have it posted by or before next week. Also, leave a comment! I really appreciate those!_


	2. Chapter 2

Awkward Encounters at the Local Graveyard

 _IchiRuki_

* * *

Rukia doesn't really know who Masaki Kurosaki is. Only knows that she's the dead mother of the boy who's thievery she had long since come to tolerate, despite her desire not to. She doesn't know the woman, never did, and yet she stands before her grave now, laying down a bundle of freshly picked flowers.

Rukia doesn't pray to her, doesn't talk to her, only lays down the flowers and steps back for a moment of silence - a sign of respect. After all, Rukia has no business burdening the ancestors of another family. It's only ... Ichigo, that's his name, easy to remember, hasn't been spotted in nearly a year. Although the grave remains well manicured, the lack of flowers which Rukia assumes had been there constantly for nearly two years under Ichigo's dutiful presence leave Rukia antsy and sad.

Of course, Rukia hadn't immediately started visiting the cemetery. For awhile she simply pushed the boy and the flowers and the grave from her mind. She had come to peace with and knew that once every couple of weeks a few flowers would go missing and now she knew why ... Only, the flowers stopped going missing. They sat there in their splendor and Rukia, pissed and annoyed, couldn't enjoy them. At the six month mark Rukia swallowed her doubt, humored her curiosity and ventured to the cemetery. She had strolled to the back of the large lot and gazed in something close to discomfort at the pile of dead flowers resting on the soft grass. For a couple of weeks she'd checked back, to see if anyone would remove them; but no one had. Until, one evening as she was clipping her garden she suddenly had the desire to bring some of the freshly picked flowers to her new not-friend.

And so now she stands, six months into this odd, uncomfortably relaxing routine.

There is an air of calm about the cemetery. Rukia doesn't really like cemeteries (has never been one to visit them needlessly) but she thinks that maybe the spirits appreciate when people come to them - maybe they gossip about their visitors. To be forgot is to be erased, as the tale goes, and no one deserves that terrible thing. Her own sister, gone and buried in her home city of Tokyo gets yearly visits from the woman, so as not to be forgot, and she suspects her brother-in-law makes the same trip although the two have not crossed paths since their fight nearly three years ago.

Rukia is snapped from here reverie by the sound of approaching footsteps. When she turns, a man and two girls are approaching. The man and one of the girls (a sandy-blonde) are talk animatedly, the other girl, possessing hair so black it almost rivals Rukia's own, has made eye contact with Rukia and seems to have no intention of breaking it. Rukia, not one to shy away from a nonverbal challenge, holds the contact, bows awkwardly at the girl and is just about to leave when the man's head suddenly snaps to her. It looks almost painful, the force used in which to make his sudden movement, but Rukia doesn't comment as she thinks it may be rude ... she has better manners than that.

The man, apparently, does not. Still, he is abrasive in a kind of... Endearing way...

"A guest!" He shrieks, flinging himself to Ichigo's mother's grave. Rukia, politely and awkwardly side stepping him, has a distinctive and uncomfortable feeling that these people are also part of Ichigo's family.

"Uh..." she says lamely, "I was just leaving..."

"Nonsense!" Bellows the man, "any friend of my late wife, is a friend of mine!" So the man is Ichigo's father. The black haired girl rolls her eyes from where she stands near Rukia's side and let's out an exacerbated sigh.

"Actually," says Rukia, uncertainly "I'm more a friend of ... Ichigo's." There is a pause as she can't recall if this is the first time she has said his name outloud, and she continues: "I really didn't mean to intrude on your family's memorial."

"My heathen son," says the man, hugging the tombstone, if Rukia's dismissal of his attack has caught him off guard, it doesn't show, "can't even bother to tell his loving father when he's in a relationship! The nerve, the dejection!"

The black haired girl and her sandy-blonde companion pivot, in turn, to Rukia, who's face, she feels, prickles with an embarrassed blush. The black haired one speaks.

"Ignore him," she says, "it's easier that way." She stares at Rukia critically and then crinkles her nose a bit as if remembering something. "I'm Karin Kurosaki, Ichigo's sister. This is Yuzu, we're twins." As an afterthought she adds, "fraternal, obviously." Behind her, Yuzu smiles and waves shyly. Rukia bows again.

"I am Rukia Kuchiki."

Karin nods, as if in thought, and Yuzu pipes up behind her: "how do you know Ichi-nii?" She blushes, "if you don't mind our asking."

Rukia figures the two must be around 18, either just on the tail-end of high school or perhaps just starting college. She thinks about the question but has no great answer to give.

"We've had a few ... Run-ins," she mutters this last part, almost annoyed though she hopes the sisters have missed it. To clarify, she adds: "I live just down the road, there-" and she point in the general direction of her house. She knows they can't see it, it is small and shoved into the gap between two large estates, but she points none-the-less. Yuzu turn and nods as if she _can_ see it, and Karin looks over her shoulder before returning her attention to Rukia. "I should really be going-" says Rukia, again. The man is alerted to this (he makes a move and appears to want to restrain her legs) but Karin is fast, stomps her foot into his face and gives Rukia a firm nod, a small smirk at the edge of her lips. Rukia smiles and turns to go. She is a few steps closer to the entrance of the cemetery when she stops, and finds herself inexplicably wanting to ask the family something. It is an odd question, none of her business really, but Rukia asks it anyway.

"Our of curiosity," she begins, awkwardly, "I haven't seen Ichigo of late, has he gone somewhere?" Yuzu grins, Karin grins, the man's smile splits his face.

"My idiot son is studying abroad in Italy at the moment!" He bursts forth. Then a sly look crosses his eyes. "He'll be home at the end of the month. We should have a family dinner to celebrate~" He's looking at Rukia as if the statement is directed at her and Rukia, for the life of her, can not fathom why that would be. As if to solidify his already very telling facial expression the man says, pleased: "Rukia, you are, of course, invited!"

Rukia blushes because she barely knows any of these people and is about to politely decline when Yuzu matches her father's intense look.

"Yes!" Yuzu says, her eye hold a kind of determination Rukia hasn't seen since the last time she was staring down her sword at an opponent across the mat. Yuzu pulls out her phone, opens the screen and turns it toward her. "Put in your phone number and then I can call you when we have our dinner." She's smiling so brightly Rukia is at a loss for what to do.

"We-we've only just met," stutters Rukia, taking a step back, when Yuzu's face drops and she looks like she might've gotten her feelings hurt Rukia back peddles, "aren't you worried I might be ... er, dangerous?" she stops, for lack of a better word, "or something..." She trails off lamely.

"Of course not!" cheers Yuzu.

"Yuzu's cooking is second to none," Karin adds helpful, though with what appears to be little interest, from a couple of feet away. The man nods fervently. With a defeated sigh Rukia punches in her phone number. Adds a bunny emoji because Yuzu seems like the type of girl to appreciate this little quirk and grins a little.

"Okay," she says, unsure, "give me a ring sometime." She smiles broadly at the odd but not unfriendly family, bows once more because the Kuchiki in her demands it, and then beats a hasty retreat. The man is lovingly screeching something about his third daughter behind her and she thinks this other girl is either just as strange or else twelve different types of accommodating to put up with such a group.

* * *

 _There'll probably be two more chapters as far as I can figure. But don't be sad, next chapter will show the reappearance of Ichigo! And won't take place at a cemetery... As always, reviews are greatly appreciated. Also, sorry for any errors and such as this was written on my phone and slightly harder to edit.  
_

 _Imagine Yuzu, Karin and Rukia becoming texting pals..._


	3. Chapter 3

Awkward Encounters at the Local Graveyard

 _IchiRuki_

* * *

Admittedly, it's a little weird … and not just because Rukia's a good ten years older than the two girls currently ordering ice cream in front of her.

It's also weird because Rukia met them at their mother's grave and because their brother used to steal from Rukia and because their dad was and still is awkwardly okay with his daughters texting and doing things with a woman he barely knows. Still, all that aside, Rukia does genuinely like the Kurosaki family. They're a quirky group of people, but they've got a collective heart of gold.

She's not really sure how she ended up here, though. (Not just at the ice cream parlor, but in this situation with this family in general.) Honestly, when Rukia had given Yuzu her phone number she hadn't expected anything. She was sure the younger woman would forget about it or else get home and realize that it was a rather strange thing to keep in contact with a random stranger. She had been shocked and thrown off kilter to receive a text message that very night, hadn't known how to respond to Yuzu's disarming kindness—

"Next," says the man behind the counter. Rukia snaps out of her thoughts. Karin and Yuzu are both off to the side, waiting.

"Two scoops of strawberry," says Rukia. She throws up two fingers and smiles, unsure of how to act. Yuzu giggles behind her hand off to the side. When her ice cream cone has been produced she pays and the three wander over to a picnic table. Rukia has promised to return the girls by nine, even though (she has learned) they are both in college. The curfew seems unnecessary.

"Thanks for helping me out earlier," says Karin, "I was sure I was going to have to sit out." The reason Rukia is with the Kurosaki twins is because she brought Karin her soccer jersey. Karin, a pivotal player of the Karakura intramural soccer team, left her jersey at the house. Having been dropped off by her father on his way to get groceries for the big celebratory dinner the following evening, she had no way of getting home to pick it up and Yuzu, being at home, had no way to bring it to her. Thus Rukia (who hadn't talked to Yuzu in about a week) received a very frantic phone call begging for help.

"Don't mention it," Rukia's mouth twitches up in a small smirk. "I was very impressed with you accuracy … kicking the ball into that player's face." Karin grins with pride.  
"That was one of the best goals I've ever made," Karin says.

"Karin is such a good soccer player!" Yuzu adds, helpful, and smiles broadly at her twin. It looks like Karin might blush but she fights it off by sheer power of will.

When the trio finishes their ice creams, Rukia drives them back to their house. She's about to drive off, having just watched the two girls close the front door behind them when it slams back open and Isshin (the father) flies into the front yard. A moment later a familiar face hurtles through the door, screaming. Rukia can't hear a thing through her windows but the scene is comical and she is reminded of an old silent film. She knows she should drive off before Ichigo notices her and things become awkward (there is no great explanation for her presence) but it's a bit like watching a train wreck and Rukia can't avert her eyes. Ichigo stomps Isshin's face into the soft ground and as Isshin is struggling to reclaim his cheek he makes eye contact with Rukia. Whatever struggle he and Ichigo are having is disregarded as he throws himself bodily on the hood of her car. He's close now and Rukia can hear him screeching about his ungrateful son. Ichigo glances into the car, looks at Rukia for about ten seconds and then points an accusing finger at her.

"You!" he shouts. Rukia frowns, sure that if anyone should be angrily yelling at the other Rukia should not be on the receiving end. She steps out of her car because there's really nothing else to do and says dismissively:

"Strawberry."

He gapes at her, still pointing and turns his accusing gaze to his father. Isshin has dismounted himself from her car and his hugging Rukia now. The girls have just walked back out. Yuzu yells in delight.

"Ichi-nii, you're home early!" Ichigo's attention is pulled from Rukia and to his younger sister. He grins at her, might even respond, when Isshin starts to babble about his third-daughter (Rukia has since discovered that such a person does not actually exist, and that he is referring to her.) Honestly, she's very confused. Ichigo is bubbling with indignation and gasping like a fish. He glares at his father.

"What the fuck!" he shouts, "how do you _know_ her?"

Ichigo has thought about Rukia exactly two times abroad. The first had been on his initial arrival, a week after their meeting and only to wonder if she would find it odd that he'd actually stopped stealing flowers, and only because he'd passed a flower stall as he meandered about the streets of Salerno.

The second time … had been at night, at an unwarranted thought and had been embarrassing.

"A chance encounter~" sings Isshin in delight. "It was fate!" Rukia dips out of Isshin's arms and crosses her own because she isn't quite sure what to do with them.  
"I," she stops, unsure if she should tell the truth and then decides that she doesn't care. Oddness be damned. She lifts her head, the air about her is off putting. She's trying to remember what years of prestigious teaching has taught her about aloof distance. "I ran into them at the cemetery."

Ichigo stares at her for a moment because the sudden change in her entire demeanor has caught him off guard and he doesn't appreciate it. He's also confused about her confession, he's sure she doesn't have family buried there because in two years he has never seen her. Then, slowly, because he's made a conclusion and is fairly certain he's correct a slow smirk graces his features and he crosses his arms, staring down at her.

Rukia feels something pass between them and she half hopes it's just the normal kind of tension, she half hopes she's not blushing.

"You were worried about me," says Ichigo, finally. Rukia scoffs.

"So worried," she says sarcastically. Isshin is looking between the two like a kid with candy. "I don't even know you." Ichigo's smirk doesn't falter but her words cut him with their sheer accuracy.

"You're right," says Ichigo after a time. "But you were worried anyway." He grins, "I guess I really made an impression, huh?"

Rukia doesn't hold back when she kicks him. It's forceful and direct and graceful - it hits him square in the hip and he grunts as she huffs, pivots on her heel and climbs back into her car. She does this because he's not wrong and she's embarrassed. Rukia half-heartedly waves to the twins and Isshin and then pulls out of the drive way and heads for home. She doesn't want to like the Kurosaki family, can't help but to think about Ichigo every now and again, but she can control her actions and her involvement. She knows how to cut ties with people.

Rukia Kuchiki doesn't want friends.

* * *

 _If this is starting to sound like a true multi-chapter fic it's because it just became one... Which means I guess I'll have to go and give it an actual summary... It'll be about 20 chapters, I guess and although it's been a year since the two first met as of this chapter everything which follows will be within the year at most. I hope y'all give it a chance. I know it's off to a slow start but next chapter will have more of both our loveable idiots and I'll try to pick up the pace/interaction a little more. Tell me what you think? :]_


	4. Chapter 4

_Forsaking my general rule of reserving ANs for the end of the work, I had a lovely couple of reviewers who asked about the ages in this story. I fervently support an older Rukia and so the ages are as follow: In this story Karin and Yuzu are around 18, which makes Ichigo around 22 (for the next 1,000 words or so ;) and Rukia about 29._

* * *

 **Awkward Encounters at the Local Graveyard**

 _Ichiruki_

* * *

"Ichigoooooooo," Isshin yells, his foot hits the top of Ichigo's bed and the bounce back sends him half into a split, half on the floor; wholly uncomfortable. Ichigo is not there. Ichigo is, in fact, not in the room at all, but he hears his father from the front porch where he is sitting; having been brooding for the better part of the morning.

For some reason (he knows the reason, but he wants to not know it) he can't get Rukia off his mind. It has been two weeks and Rukia has made no contact. She's also been avidly avoiding responding to the twins … which Ichigo is told is odd, because prior to his return the three apparently talked semi-frequently. This relationship they all seem to have both annoys Ichigo and makes him proud, he's not quite sure why. He groans, runs a hand through his hair and then stands. He shouldn't be concerned with her, he has other things in his life which take precedence. And although it frustrates him to admit it …

… Rukia was right, of course. Ichigo doesn't know her at all — still, part of him wants to.

He meanders back into the living room and scoops Karin's phone up off the coffee table. Karin whirls around and sends him a withering glare.

"Rude!" she yells, trying to grab the device back from her older brother, but he's much taller than her and his limbs are annoyingly long. Ichigo flips open the phone, goes to the text messages and checks to see if the midget has respond. She hasn't. It takes this action and the resulting frown from Ichigo for Karin to figure out what he's doing. She relaxes a little back into the couch. "Rukia?" she asks, holding out her hand. Ichigo gives back the phone and flops down beside her.

"You think she'd at least have the manners to message Yuzu back," Ichigo says grumpily. He knows he's being childish and perhaps a little creepy, he's even mildly considered stealing some more flowers just to get a reaction from the small woman … but that would dishonor his mother and Ichigo knows he's not that type of person. He crosses his arms over his chest and scowls at the T.V..

Yuzu comes down from the stairs at about the same time Ichigo has decided this day is already terrible, and soundly kisses him on the cheek.

"Happy birthday, Ichi-nii!" she says with vigor, trusting a card in his face.

It's not so much that Ichigo has forgotten his birthday (he went to bed the previous night thinking about all the differences between a twenty-two year old and a twenty-three year old — of which he could come up with none) it's just that he hadn't woken up thinking about it, and so he's caught a little bit off guard. He scratches his neck and takes the card.

"…Thanks, Yuzu," he says, and opens it. Nothing explodes which means Isshin has had no part in this present ... and for that, Ichigo is eternally grateful — he is becoming concerned with the influence his outlandish father is having on his entirely too-sweet sister; his father is a pain in the ass disguised as a doctor and no one should be subjected to prolonged exposure to his nonsense. The card is full of small writing which takes up all available blank space. It is obvious that Yuzu has put a lot of thought into what to write and so Ichigo scans it (intent on reading it more thoroughly later) and then gives his younger sister a hug.

"And," says Yuzu, excitedly, "tonight I'll make you whatever you want for dinner — and I'll bake a cake!" Ichigo's face relaxes enough for him to smile at her, and then he turns a teasing smirk to Karin.

"What did you get me?" he asks, half expecting her to punch him. Karin rolls her eyes and crosses her arms.

"My undying love," she says, sarcastically.

"You know," says Ichigo, "usually when someone gives someone else their _undying_ love, they only need to give it once. I've been getting undying love from you for four years …"

"So I'll love you when I'm dead, and when I'm born again and then when I die again … again," says Karin with a huff, and she stands up, walking into the kitchen. Yuzu exchanges a look with her brother and then giggles, Ichigo frowns.

"…That was oddly nice," he yells to Karin.

"Ichigoooooooooooo,"

The sibling conversation is cut short when a blur flies through the air, over the stair banister, headed directly for Ichigo. Ichigo swiftly uppercuts and hits his father square in the jaw, the older man crumples to the ground with a resounding thud and a small groan.

"Do you have to do this every morning?" Ichigo yells.

"How will I know if you're prepared for all of life's curve balls if I don't constantly test you!?" Isshin yells back. If the hit was painful it doesn't show and Isshin bounces back up, going into another attack. Ichigo brings a fist down on his father's head, effectively ending the not-fight.

"You're a pain in my ass," says Ichigo.

"Our ungrateful son," whines Isshin, presumably to the floor-to-ceiling poster of Masaki on the other side of the room, as he lays, clutching his head. Ichigo leaves him there, following Karin into the kitchen. Behind him he can hear Yuzu asking their father if he needs ice, and thinks (again) that she is too nice for her own good and that the man who calls himself their father ought to act more like a parental figure and less like a raging baboon before Ichigo even considers showing him that kind of mercy.

Karin's back is to Ichigo as she digs through the fridge. She straightens up, swinging the door closed and turns to Ichigo with a small smirk, and then she glances past him and yells into the living room:

"Hey, Yuzu!"

Yuzu turns from their injured father and blinks innocently.

"Yeah?" she asks.

"We don't have eggs," says Karin, "you can't make a cake without eggs—"

Yuzu squeaks and drops Isshin's hand. He whines and something like the word "meanie" slips from his lips but no one is paying attention to him.

"Oh no!" Yuzu frets, running to the fridge, but she can only confirm what Karin has already told her. Ichigo's not wholly concerned though, the market's only a couple blocks away.

"I can run and pick up eggs this afternoon," he says. "I was going to go out for a jog anyway." Yuzu immediately brightens. Her smile is contagious and innocent and Ichigo looks at her fondly.

"I'll come with you," says Karin, "I've just thought of something to get you for your birthday." She's got a weird glint in her eye that Ichigo doesn't particularly appreciate. He quirks an eyebrow at her, but she's not paying attention to him, she's back to talking with her twin.

Later that afternoon, as Karin and Ichigo are leaving, Karin insists that they go a different way. She calls it more scenic, and demands Ichigo follow her despite his desire to make the trip as fast as physically possible.

"Trust me Ichi-nii," she says, a smirk firmly set on her lips. "when this birthday is over you'll be calling me your best sis." Ichigo grunts.

Karin leads them down a string of back roads and houses. They pass a cat that is fond of Ichigo and follows them for half a block and have to climb a fence that Karin insists she's never seen before ... by the time Ichigo figures out where they are, it's too late to turn back. Ichigo scowls down at Karin.

"What're we doing?" he asks, unamused. But Karin's got a smirk firmly in place as she leads them to the house of a certain infuriating woman.

"We're asking the neighbors for some eggs," Karin says. She's already halfway up the driveway and knocking on the door before Ichigo can grab her and drag her home. So, begrudgingly, he follows after her (cursing the stars and the deities and his family in particular.)

Rukia appears about 30 seconds later.

When she opens the door Ichigo tells himself he is thrown off by how casual she looks. Her hair messily is pulled up and she's wearing a white button down — the sleeves are rolled to her elbows. On her left arm are several streaks of watercolor, as if she'd been using her skin to test the color consistency, in her right hand she's holding a fine-tipped pen. The paintbrush that must have made the marks on her arm is situated behind her ear. For a moment her eyes get wide in their surprise, and then they narrow slightly and she crosses her arms over her chest and leans up against the doorway, a small smirk playing on her lips.

"Strawberry," she says, by way of greeting, and then she turns to the younger of the two Kurosakis and her face softens a little, "hey, Karin," she says. It's much nicer than Ichigo's greeting, and the fruit-head is more than a little annoyed that he always seems to get the short end. "How can I help you?" Rukia asks. Karin might have prepared to say something, but Ichigo is a little peeved by Rukia's casual insult so he thinks it's time to take the reigns.

"Can't a neighbor ask another neighbor for some eggs?" he says.

"Sure," Rukia concedes, "but as I recall, this isn't your neighborhood—" she smirks a little, her arms are still crossed, her brow is furrowed just a little. Ichigo smirks back at her, he is imposing and tall and takes up a good part of Rukia's door frame, which she doesn't appreciate. And he's casually placed his hand in the door jamb, and is leaning up against the opposite frame from her so that Rukia can't shut it.

"That's not very neighborly at all," Ichigo says.

"We're not neighbors—" Rukia says again, she's about to tack on an insult about propriety and showing up to the scene of a crime but she makes the mistake of looking at Karin who is, by all accounts, innocent and then sighs deeply and throws the door open a little more so the two siblings can come inside.

"I'll go get you your damn eggs," she mutters, shooting a glare at Ichigo over her shoulder as she pads into the kitchen. He smirks back at her.

"Still not very neighborly," says Ichigo, to her back. Rukia wants to flip him the bird but she has better manners than that. Ichigo walks around the small house, observing. There are only two rooms downstairs — a kitchen in the back, and the living room which the front door leads right into. It's a narrow sort of space. Off to the right is a set of stairs which lead up to a loft, Ichigo can see a bookshelf and a bed, but he'd have to go up to see in any clear detail what is actually up there. In the living room is a large drawing desk next to the window. Karin notices it, too, and Ichigo is drawn back to the watercolor on Rukia's arm. (Her arm, he can't help but to think, looked very soft, the skin like silk - milky and clear…)

"Are you an artist?" Karin calls into the kitchen. Rukia appears a second later, carrying a half carton of eggs.

"Eh?" Rukia says, then looks at the drawing table. "Oh … kind of," she grins at them both, "I'm a landscape designer." Ichigo remembers the flowers; is familiar with the flowers, and oddly, the profession suits Rukia to a T. Rukia walks over to the drawing desk, and holds up the design. It looks to be that of a backyard. There's a waterfall incorporated in it that Ichigo thinks looks interesting. Parts of the design are accented with watercolor — which Ichigo assumes is probably to highlight specific details. He's about to comment on the elegance of the design until he notices something ... He squints at something drawn in the bottom left corner of the over-sized paper, and then moves closer to get a better look.

There, on this beautifully yard concept, drawn in the same ink, is the most horribly constructed doodle of a rabbit Ichigo's eyes have ever laid witness to … it even has hair, this terrible cartoon bunny. Ichigo can help it. He puts a hand over his mouth to suppress the laugh he knows can only bring him pain, but it leaks out anyway, like a fog through his fingers … and Rukia is already glaring at him. _Hard._ Like her eyes are ice and she wants him to know the very wintery depths of her unfeeling soul. But Ichigo can't stop, he points to the bunny, accusingly.

"What the _hell_ is that _thing_?" He laughs. Rukia wants to send a decisive kick to Ichigo's nether regions, but she's still ashamed of kicking him the last time so she settles for the perfect Kuchiki mask of rage and indifference, and tells him very, very slowly, as if addressing a child:

" _That_ is Chappy," she looks at him pointedly, "a beautiful reminder that the whole world hasn't gone to shit."

" _That_ is a fucking travesty," Ichigo retorts, a smirk firmly placed on his lips. Karin, who Ichigo has (he's ashamed to say) completely forgotten about, saves Rukia the trouble of injuring her brother by doing it herself.

"You're being rude," she says with a firm kick to the back of his knee. Ichigo stumbles forward and then glares back at her.

"Yeah, strawberry, you're being rude," Rukia echoes, sarcastically. She puts the design back on her desk and picks up the cartoon of eggs, shoving it into Ichigo's chest. Ichigo takes them.

"Thanks," says Ichigo, and sets them on the table beside Rukia's couch. He takes a moment, breaths deeply so as to avoid further insult, and then turns back to the woman behind him. "Rukia," he says, it's the first time he's said her name in any seriousness. Rukia is reluctant to admit that her insides turn at the way he says it. She thinks she might blush, but fights it. "Today's my birthday," he stops again, briefly. Rukia is about to tell him happy birthday, awkwardly, but he continues. "Yuzu's making a cake, dad'll be a train wreck … wanna come over and celebrate with us?" Ichigo finishes, it's about as sincere as she's seen him. Karin adds helpfully:

"You didn't come to dinner for Ichigo's return like you said you would," she smirks lightly, as if she knows this type of guilt trip can't be ignored. And she's right. Part of Rukia wants to break away from this family all together, but part of her wants to be a part of them. And she does sincerely feel bad about ignoring the two younger girls. And she kind of feels bad about kicking Ichigo, even if he is annoyingly arrogant at times. The fact is, she _likes_ Ichigo ... and his family.

"Yeah," says Rukia, finally, "okay…"

She knows she has either lost something or gained something in this transaction; either lost her resolve or gained her reason …

Ichigo grins, gesturing vaguely for the two women to lead the way out the door. Karin turns tail and exits. Rukia hesitantly follows behind her — after setting down her pen and taking the paintbrush out of her hair — she'll finish the rest of the design later, she thinks, she'll renew her distance to Ichigo and his family, too. Tonight though? Why shouldn't she be happy, have a good time even? Ichigo is the last to leave her house. Just as he's turning to shut the door a photo hanging on the wall above the base of the staircase catches his attention. He doesn't get a great look at it, he's already halfway out the door when he sees it, but he makes a mental note to ask Rukia about it when they return later in the evening…

"Onward," says Karin, "let the festivities begin!" Ichigo quirks an eyebrow at her. Rukia snickers behind her hand.

The trio is halfway to the Kurosaki clinic before Ichigo remembers that he doesn't have the eggs.

* * *

 _I must admit, in the initial story (chapter 1) I considered making Rukia and Ichigo both college-aged but veered away from that when it occurred to me that for the story to unfold the way I would like it to, Rukia had to have slightly more and significantly different life experiences from Ichigo. Grant it, a lot can happen in 20 years, but I needed a familial fall through to take place and it could only happen (in my mind) if Rukia were no longer a dependent. And with that cryptic bit of info shared, I hope you look forward to the next chapter! (Hint: that picture is, in fact, vitally important)  
_

 _Anyway, I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far. I really appreciate the reviews and everything (you who have review have been so kind, and I'm not quite sure how to adequately convey how much I appreciate your support!) I know this chapter seems like a filler chapter (and maybe it really is, I did desperate want to write a chapter for Ichigo's birthday.) But the next chapter is where the drama? starts. There is an actual plot to this story! Shocker! Haha..._

 _(Don't forget to review! :)  
_


	5. Chapter 5

**Awkward Encounters at the Local Graveyard**

 _Ichiruki_

* * *

Rukia is good with Karin and Yuzu.

This is surprising, maybe slightly less so for Yuzu, but definitely for Karin, who has the heart of a warrior –– guarded by diamond. Yuzu's a little more friendly and although it's always sincere, she's guarded, too. Ichigo can't remember the last time his family spoke seriously about anything. It's a lot of bickering and pussyfooting around tender subjects. Or _a_ tender subject. And it leaves everyone a little reluctant to open up; a little protective. (Except for, perhaps, Isshin, who has, Ichigo can fondly, if not begrudgingly, say, tried his best to open the world up to his kids and lessen the ache of their missing member.) Rukia is like dynamite, and not even necessarily because she wants to be, she just is. She is endearing and disagreeable, assertive and accommodating. She is the best (or maybe worst?) mixture of coarseness and refinement which his sisters latch on to and talk enthusiastically with. Ichigo watches as Rukia describes playing kickball in the streets with a childhood friend, how she was always the fastest in their merry band of misfits. Yuzu animatedly tells Rukia about the food on the table, how she cooks it, which are her favorites, and Rukia's face transitions between surprise and joy as she tries it –– there is no restraint on her emotion and there is nothing she doesn't at least sample.

And yet, Ichigo's mind flashes back to the picture on Rukia's wall.

When dinner has finished, the cake has been eaten and Isshin has been beaten into calmness, Rukia announces she should probably get going. She has work tomorrow, she says, and hasn't finished her project yet.

"Come back anytime!" Isshin hollers out the door, his eyebrow wiggles in a way Ichigo doesn't approve of. Karin lifts a hand in a simple farewell and Yuzu is waving animatedly.  
"Rukia-chan! Let's go see a movie together next week!"

Rukia smiles and nods simply. Ichigo walks beside her. She's about to protest, but he's already matching her strides to the sidewalk.

"I'll walk you home," he says, and then a devilish grin crosses his features, "short people have bad night vision."

Rukia tells herself he is an ignoramus, she knows he is just joking. But she still punches him, it gives her a sort of aggressive satisfaction. Ichigo cannot, for the life of him, understand how such a small person possesses such a powerful punch. He rubs his arm as they walk away from his house and his crazy family.

"You know, normal people are less likely to punch other people when those other people give them free food," Ichigo grunts. Rukia smirks, she's walking just slightly ahead of Ichigo, so he can't see the full extent of it, but he sees her profile and he _knows_ it's there. He imagines her eyes are probably also shining.

"I don't recall you giving me a free anything … I do, however, recall lending _you_ some free eggs. As far as I'm concerned, the dinner was just payback," she shoots him a look over her shoulder, and then raises her chin just a bit so that Ichigo is aware she is saying this all in as condescending a manner she can muster. Ichigo grumbles behind her.

The walk is mostly bickering after that. Rukia somehow manages to insult Ichigo as she asks him about studying abroad in Italy, Ichigo points out that she kind of sounds like a stalker, the cat which had followed Ichigo when he and Karin had walked to Rukia's house earlier follows him again. Rukia stops and pets it. Ichigo complains about possible rabies. By the time they arrive, Ichigo is sure any fondness he has for the tiny woman must be gone — it's not, of course, but he's satisfied with his ability to still kind of deny it. Unfortunately, he can't even do that for very long because at the door, Rukia turns to him, and even though it's more a smirk than a smile her words are sincere when she says, quietly, "happy birthday."

Ichigo thinks that Rukia has a talent for choosing simple phrases and saying them with enough emotion to express herself.

"Thanks," he mutters, scratching his neck. He's about to turn and leave and she's just unlocked her front door when Ichigo turns back around.

"Rukia," he says. She glances over her shoulder, gives him a confused look, "there's a picture — just behind your front door…" he's rubbing his neck uncomfortably. Rukia's brow furrows for a moment before she recalls what he's referring to.

"Yeah," she says. She swings the door open wide, extending her hand through the threshold, "wanna come in for some coffee, strawberry, you can get a closer look at it," she smirks as he takes a couple long strides past her.

Rukia heads for the kitchen as Ichigo inspects the photo — fully this time. There are six people in the frame, in two rows, four in back, two in front. All of them are wearing some sort of military uniform. Ichigo only recognizes one of them: Rukia.

Rukia comes to stand beside him, handing him a cup of coffee, and then she points to the man in the back row on the left side.

"That was my captain," she says, "Ukitake. The guy next to him with the red hair, that's Renji … he wasn't in our squad, but he and I … we joined at the same time. Obviously that's me, beside him," she stops, as if to let Ichigo process the information, "the woman next to me is Shiba Miyako. Her husband, Shiba Kaien … he took the picture; he was our lieutenant." Something in Rukia's voice gets far away and Ichigo immediately regrets bringing up whatever this is she's clearly been suppressing. She clears her throat and then points to the two remaining figure in the photo, they're both on the ground — a man and a woman. The woman has bunny ears up behind the man's head, if not for the action Ichigo would have thought they all looked very much like statues. "The woman is Kiyone, the man, Sentaro," Rukia chuckles lightly, "believe it or not, they were my superiors." Despite the onslaught of new information, despite not being able to picture the tiny, feisty woman in front of him as a solider, despite still thinking about the way Rukia looked when she had talked about her lieutenant, Ichigo casts her a smirk, turning from the picture to look down at his counterpart. He takes a sip from his coffee and then says, with feigned indifference:

"That's probably because you looked like a child."

Rukia doesn't punch him this time, she's probably reached her quota for physical injuries inflicted upon one Kurosaki Ichigo for the day, but she crosses her arms over her chest and she is not quiet with her verbal assault. Ichigo's ears feel throughly abused when she finally huffs and pivots on her heel, muttering "dipshit" as she does so. Ichigo rubs his ear with his palm as he follows her to the couch.

Kuchiki Rukia, Ichigo thinks, shouldn't have been a solider. She's an artist, he thinks, even if she's only designing landscapes, he can't see her in any other field. It suddenly dawns on Ichigo that, experience-wise, he and Rukia might as well be worlds apart. What did she do as a solider? Surely she didn't fight? Surely no one looked at her and thought that combat was something she could do without leaving her jaded, broken or dead. Rukia is blowing the steam off the top of her coffee beside him, she's looking with pristine focus at her drawing table, as if she's lost in the design bared there. Didn't she say she meant to get work done before tomorrow? Maybe she's thinking about that … but no, she turns to him suddenly.

"There's something you want to ask me, isn't there?" Rukia says, it's like she can see questions burning behind his eyes. But Ichigo's really only got one he wants to ask at this moment.

"Why'd you leave it?" He asks, 'it' meaning the military, but he knows that Rukia knows what he's talking about. Her plum-colored eyes focus like the point of a tack, he can see her bite the inside of her cheek and knows it to be a technique used to control emotion. She's silent for a long time, and Ichigo's beginning to think she won't answer the question. But then she says something that makes Ichigo's blood cold for a moment.

"I was shot."

If Ichigo thought she would elaborate, she doesn't. She grabs their empty coffee cups, gives the wall behind him a distant look, and then disappears into the kitchen.

* * *

 _I should go ahead and apologize for the sporadic, out of character mess that this chapter became. I honestly struggled so much with it because I had this fundamental idea of where I wanted/needed it to be but I was having such a hard time executing it that finally I was just like 'fuck it' I'm just going to write until it's done and I'm not going to look back ... so that's what I did ... I should have just made this and the last chapter a single chapter, I think._

 _That said, I'm so totally stoked to introduce Byakuya and Renji to this story, because y'all have gotten a nice taste of the Kurosaki family, and as we delve deeper into Rukia and Ichigo's respective pasts (and futures ;) I can't think of a better way to introduce dialogue than to introduce character who can be mediums for that dialogue. (And yes, I did say Ichigo's past, too.) So be on the lookout for those two in the next few chapters!_

 _I really need to put a real summary up ... I'm just having trouble making it sound good so haven't yet._

 _Lastly, in chapter 4 I received 9 reviews, which is absolutely more than I could have asked for. And I do notice that some of y'all are repeat reviewers, and I love you guys so much! (including you awesome guest reviewers.) I'm very sorry I don't frequently respond to reviews, it's not because I don't appreciate you taking time to tell me what you think of my writing! I'm just ... man y'all, I'm just so bad at socializing. So please don't stop, I see you there and I'm sending you lots of appreciation!_


	6. Chapter 6

Awkward Encounters at the Local Graveyard

 _IchiRuki_

* * *

Tatsuki adamantly believes that Ichigo may be one of the daftest people she has ever had the pleasure of calling her friend. Second only to Keigo, and that is only because as far as stupidity goes, Keigo is unbeatable. (Keigo, surprisingly, has claimed he embraces this position proudly. Which really only solidifies his stupidity.) Tatsuki is watching Ichigo now as he grabs another handful of popcorn. He's stretch out on her couch, (head propped up on a hand, legs thrown over the edge – the couch is not quite long enough for his lanky frame) his eyes are glazed over, focused on the television where an old samurai movie marathon has been going on for the past four hours. Tatsuki can't say she's not happy for the company. Ichigo goes back to Karakura every break, and aside from Tatsuki, very few of their university friends stay in Tokyo after term. Which is whatever, Tatsuki doesn't really do the whole socializing thing very well, but still … it gets lonely in a big city when no one's around.

"Yo," says Tatsuki, tapping Ichigo's foot with her own. She's sitting sideways in a big leather chair her aunt gave her last year when she moved. Most of Tatsuki's furniture is mismatched … beggars can't be choosers. Ichigo grunts, so she knows she's got his attention – or at least part of it – his eyes don't move from the TV set. "I'm bored," says Tatsuki, "tell me what you've been doing these past couple weeks so I can live vicariously through you." Ichigo snorts and turns to her, his lips are turned up in a slight smirk, as if he's analyzing how much of a social life she actually doesn't have. She does have one though dammit! During term, when Orihime is around, the two go and do all sorts of things (bakery hopping, self-defense classes, – this is for Orihime, no man alive dares to mess with the karate champion of Tokyo – cooking classes … actual classes …) and when Orihime is around, Uryuu is around and when Uryuu is around Chad, Keigo and Mizuiro are around, too. And when Ichigo isn't off in Italy doing Italian things and being worldly he's also around. But Tatsuki's the only one in their group who has got her own apartment in the city.

"If I had anything going on at home would I have taken the two hour bus trip up to see you? I'm bored, too," Ichigo says, grabs another handful of popcorn, turns back to the television. Tatsuki kicks his foot again, a little harder than necessary, and Ichigo jolts, shooting her a glare that isn't really doing anything for him.

"What is it with all you violent people in my life?"

Tatsuki grins wickedly, she reaches across their respective seats and steals the popcorn.

"You've just got that kind of demeanor that people want to hit," she says, "can't be helped."

"You're an ass," says Ichigo. Tatsuki gives him a grin and shrugs, then she gives him a look that's not quite concern but could probably turn into it.

"Who else has been hitting you?" Tatsuki asks, "any thugs I need to help you out with?" Ichigo has been getting into fights for as long as they have been friends, and they'd been friends as children, so Tatsuki (being two days younger, but feeling several years older) thinks that the mentality of a protective sister is not unwarranted. Not that Ichigo needs it, but it never hurts to have a comrade in battle. She gives him a toothy grin.

"My dad – always," says Ichigo, annoyed at whatever memory he's reliving, and then after a moment, "and this," Ichigo stops momentarily, gains a pensive look, as if deciding his next words. And then continues, "…kid a couple blocks from the house." For a brief moment Tatsuki envisions a small child, perhaps no older than nine, punching Ichigo repeatedly and Tatsuki must suppress a grin. Ichigo sees her on the verge of laughter and scowls, clarifying, "she's not actually a kid … I'm actually fairly sure she's older than us."

"She?" Tatsuki asks, interest peeked, "and why is 'she' hitting you?" Tatsuki watches as Ichigo's lips lift up in a grin. It occurs to Tatsuki that, even though Ichigo is a generally contented person, she doesn't frequently see expressions of joy cross his face. He's got feigned annoyance down to an art.

"I'm pretty sure it's got something to do with her height." Ichigo says, as if discussing some intellectual subject, "I've got this running theory that short people are like Chihuahuas. You know, the smaller they are the less room they're meanness has to disperse in," he gives her a pointed look, "you're exhibit A in this theory by the way." Tatsuki kicks him again, she doesn't really care that she's proving his point.

"So…" Tatsuki says after a minute, "is she cute?"

Tatsuki is a straight up lesbian, this is an important question to her. Ichigo chuckles, turning back to the television, he leaves the question unanswered. Someone in the movie has just been stabbed in the gut, presumably the loser of a dual. Tatsuki perks up in her chair, her eyes are needle points on Ichigo's temple but he's skillfully ignoring her intrigue.

"Come on, Ichigo," she says, "friends don't just leave friends hanging like this."

Ichigo is still silent, Tatsuki crosses her arms over her chest in annoyance.

"At least tell me her name," she mumbles. Ichigo smirks, he considers hiding it, but he likes his body to remain mildly unbruised at any given time and tomorrow, when they spar, Tatsuki will go full force if he doesn't give her something.

"Kuchiki Rukia," Ichigo says after a minute. Tatsuki grins a feral, devious grin and runs back to her room. Ichigo watches her go in a sort of bewildered silence. When she returns she's got her computer in hand. Ichigo already knows what she's doing, so Tatsuki doesn't fight him when he steals the popcorn again and leans over the back of her chair. She jumps into it, cross-legged, and opens up her browser. For a moment they both see a shoujo manga she's got pulled up. Ichigo snorts, Tatsuki quickly exits out of the tab, mildly regretting that when she goes back to look for her page it'll take her a minute. Fucking Ichigo.

"Can it," she mutters, pulling up the search engine. She types in the lady's name, clicks images and waits the millisecond it takes for the search engine to locate a number of those images. Tatsuki thinks it's going to be a job finding the specific girl that Ichigo is acquainted with, but it's not. As far as the internet is concerned, there's only one person with the name Kuchiki Rukia who is worthy noting. She's an heiress. She's a solider. There are a number of photos of her in a court room, and a lot of what seems to be news screenshots where her picture is featured. There are also a few photos of someone who is likely her sister and probably her twin. She's also gorgeous, Tatsuki approves.

"Your assailant is pretty," says Tatsuki, "and pretty busy, too, apparently." Tatsuki ventures a glance at Ichigo. He's got some popcorn in his mouth and is staring hard at the screen. It's a shame, thinks Tatsuki, that Ichigo's already pursuing her…

"She keeps busy, I guess," says Ichigo at length, "the other day I was at her house and I was asking her about her military service. She told me she left because she was shot and didn't tell me anything else. We haven't talked in a couple days. She's not really secluded but I guess she's secretive," he pauses for a moment, but eventually tacks on: "she's a real pain in my ass, though – do you want to know how we met?"

Ichigo growls and walks around the chair to plop down on the floor in front of Tatsuki, brows furrowed. Tatsuki knows it's just a show, Ichigo's default emotions for displays of affection generally waver between aggravation and annoyance. She smirks, nodding as she switches over to the web pages of this lady. Sifting through them as Ichigo rambles.

"So this happened last year; I was going to see mom like I do every couple weeks," begins Ichigo. Tatsuki's reading about Rukia's brother-in-law – a man named Byakuya – she knows the name but that's about it. He's some business tycoon. Tatsuki's not really interested in business. She's going to school to become an architect and most of her other interests have a physical aspect. Uryuu's more the type to know about the economy and those who participate in it.

"– and I was grabbing a couple of flowers from this garden by the street," Ichigo's going on.

Apparently Rukia was adopted into the Kuchiki family when she was seventeen and she's supposed to inherit the corporation. Tatsuki exits that article and clicks on another. This one is about a trial – Rukia's trial. Something about whether or not she should have been dishonorably discharged for disobeying orders. The article is nearly four years old. Curious, Tatsuki searches for the final verdict of the trial and is relieved to see that (after the testimony of her captain) the ruling went in favor of Rukia and she discharged from military service (honorably) about two weeks later.

"– and then she just appointed herself my personal shadow and followed me all the way there," Ichigo is griping now, sounding almost personally put-upon. Tatsuki smirks up at him. She's clicking though other webpages but they mostly talk about the trial or Byakuya. About halfway down the screen there's a new name that pops up: Hisana.

"– She has their phone numbers! She even took Karin to one of her soccer games!" Ichgio's arms are crossed over his chest. "And she had the nerve to kick me whe–"

"Ichigo, shut up, and look," Tatsuki cuts in. Ichigo scowls, Tatsuki smirks and turns the computer to him. "Rukia's got a sister, she's buried here in a cemetery in Tokyo, that one on the south side of town."

"So?" Ichigo seems genuinely confused. Tatsuki smacks him on the top of his head because he is, without a doubt the second daftest person she's ever had the pleasure of calling a friend.

"So," says Tatsuki, slowly, articulately, "if you plan on asking Rukia out in the near future you should at least pay your respects to the family and ask permission. Rukia and this lady, Hisana, were orphans, so Hisana's really the only person to ask. It's good manners." Tatsuki is looking at him hard. Ichigo's not much for traditions, he's pretty informal. But Tatsuki's fairly certain that even Ichigo grasps the concept of honoring a family. Ichigo gets a funny shade of red and Tatsuki looks at him oddly for a moment.

"Who the fuck said anything about _asking her out_?" Ichigo sputters, "weren't you listening? I said she's a pain in my ass." He looks insulted by her suggestion. This idiot's got to have the brain of a bean, Tatsuki thinks.

"I'll go with you," Tatsuki smirks, "we can go and grab lunch afterward and then head to the dojo."

"I'm not asking her out," says Ichigo, with finality. Tatsuki rolls her eyes.

"Fine," she says after a moment, "then you can come with _me_ tomorrow and _I'll_ pay my respects and _I'll_ go ask her out. I can visit Orihime next week, jog by her house, introduce myself –"

"Like hell you will," Ichigo frowns, there's a tinge of something in his voice that Tatsuki is fairly certain is jealousy, "that's creepy."

"It's not," Tatsuki says, "I'll just say I know you. You're my way in." She smirks at him because she's won. Ichigo is honor and pride and rain and eight layers of denial and secrecy and pent up sadness. Tatsuki knows who Ichigo is. Knows that there's a time to be serious and a time to joke around. Knows when to be hurt by him and when to beg him to let her help. Tatsuki is always an arm length and ten thousand unsaid words away from Ichigo. But the way Ichigo talks about this chick, the smiles he cracks, Tatsuki's pretty sure she'll be good for him. And from what she's read, Ichigo's protectiveness –– his insistent need to help –– those things will probably be good for Rukia a bit, too. Tatsuki lets her smirk drop and looks at him severally for just a moment.

"I've seen you through a lot, Ichigo; we've been through a lot together. And I know you. Just … trust me this one time with this one thing, okay?" and then she smiles a bit, leans forward and taps him on the upper arm with something that's not exactly a punch, "ask this girl out," she says, "and when she's had enough of you, introduce me." With that said she shuts her laptop, plucks the bowl of popcorn out of his limp hands, throws a handful in her mouth and slouches back in her chair, eyes trained on the television set. Ichgio scoffs and stands, moving back toward his (her) couch.

Tatsuki doesn't dig giving advice, she's always been more about the action, but she's feeling pretty confident in Ichigo's chances. He's not a bad guy … he's kind of an arrogant half-wit with a tendency toward abrasiveness, but not a bad guy.

Ichigo falls asleep on the couch about two hours, another bowl of popcorn and one fight over the remote later. It's nearing two in the morning when Tatsuki throws a blanket over his head and wanders off to her bedroom. Her apartment is on the fifth floor, is three rooms large (so not very large at all) and has paper-thin walls. She can hear an infomercial playing in her neighbor's apartment as she falls asleep.

* * *

 _I was told I should make the chapters a little longer to accommodate the many similar plot developments taking place in separate chapters. I know it doesn't seem it, but this chapter is actually quite a bit longer than the previous ones, and because I think this person was right, the chapters will continue to get longer._

 _That aside: Tatsuki! God, I didn't even know how to write her but I wanted her in this story, dammit. Usually it's always either Renji or Uryuu as Ichigo's friends (and I mean they are, but Tatsuki doesn't get enough credit.) I am very sorry for the OOC. I just really wanted to write a relaxed, friendly dynamic between the two. The next chapter will be more of that. I'm excited to write them sparring, but also a little nervous, so we'll see how that goes! Let me know if things are unclear ... like the setting or anything. I've noticed lately that description really isn't my forte, so I suppose that's something to work on._

 _Stay tuned! In the next couple of chapters it's about to get really fluffy for a bit, so look forward to that._

 _And please review! I just really want to know what you all think of Tatsuki._


	7. Chapter 7

Awkward Encounters at the Local Graveyard

 _IchiRuki_

* * *

Ichigo has a crick in his neck that he can't rub away. Tatsuki's watching him through casually hooded eyes, but has the good sense not to laugh outright at his discomfort. Couches aren't good beds, no matter how comfortable they may seem while falling asleep. So Ichigo is, understandably, a little grumpy. It's also early, Ichigo's usually up pretty early anyway, but six thirty is pushing it on a weekend and he doesn't appreciate Tatsuki's need to start every morning with a run and a cup of coffee.

"How long has it been since you worked out?" Tatsuki asks, feigning sympathy. She takes a sip of coffee. She and Ichigo are close to the cemetery where Kuchiki Hisana is buried. Their morning jog has taken them almost up to the gates (almost four miles from Tatsuki's place) but they stopped just before it at a local café to grab the morning brew. Tatsuki is one of the few people Ichigo knows who prefers coffee to tea, he imagines this is because of the slight caffeine difference. Tatsuki doesn't really sleep.

Ichigo, however, is drinking neither. He is drinking water because he is sweating profusely because, to answer Tatsuki's question, he hasn't worked out in about a month. And as nice as his physical physique is, he's not exactly in the best shape of his life.

"I don't know, not that long," he grumbles, but he knows and it has been that long. Tatsuki snorts but drops the matter. The day is overcast and the cool air feels good on Ichigo's hot skin. He hopes it doesn't rain, but he's glad it's not sunny.

The cemetery is nice. It's not like his mom's – the Kurosaki's plot of land is quant, the plot is beautiful but it is small and simple. This cemetery is expansive. The gates are large and imposing, rose bushes are on either side. There's a flower garden and a brick wall and a house for the land keeper. It is a place of wealth, obviously. Ichigo doesn't know why, but he almost thinks wealth doesn't quite suit Rukia. She's graceful, sure, and refined … in a way. But she's a geode, the beauty is the sharp crystal inside, not the smooth external rock. And that type of beauty only comes from turmoil, something taking place within – something Ichigo doesn't often find in the wealthy or elite. Still, there are always exceptions, he supposes. Tatsuki gives him a slight nudge through the gates. Her arms are crossed over her chest as if she's uncomfortable and this is probably because Tatsuki is not good at comfort and graveyards are all about finding comfort.

"If you want you can wait outside," Ichigo offers, "I'm not going to be here long."

"Nah," says Tatsuki, "I'm here for you." Ichigo appreciates it, even though he doesn't say it. They split up for to look for Hisana's headstone. Ichigo's uncomfortable as he does so. There are, after all, traditions to uphold when visiting ancestors who aren't his own. And although Ichigo's never really been one for these traditions – he is very much from the new generation – it still feels wrong to be here. The air is stale and unwelcoming. Tatsuki calls out to him across the plot of land and waves a hand from a spot beside a tall statue off to his right. Ichigo stuffs the hand not holding is water bottle into his sweatpants pocket and makes his way over.

"Found it," says Tatsuki and she takes a step back to let Ichigo do his thing, "now hurry up so we can get out of here. This place gives me the creeps." Ichigo throws her a smirk.

"Afraid of the big, bad ghosts?" He jokes. Tatsuki rolls her eyes.

"I just don't like graveyards," she says, and shoos him with a flick of her hand.

Ichigo turns to the statue that is a headstone. It reads _Kuchiki Hisana_ and looks like it has recently been cleaned. Ichigo would have brought flowers, but his main source of floral decoration happens to be a two-hour bus trip away and is thus not accessible. Ichigo grins at the thought. He bows his head to say a quick prayer instead, that her spirit is restful and loved, and then clears his throat.

"Hisana," he says and the informality makes Tatsuki snort behind him. Ichigo ignores this, "I met your sister awhile back …" he rubs his neck awkwardly, trying to find the words. He's a bit embarrassed that Tatsuki is listening, although he's pretty sure he doesn't need to be. "And I'm going to ask her on a date." There's a wind that picks up around him for a moment, it ruffles his hair. He takes it as an indicator to continue. "So this is me asking your permission. She's important to me … even if she is feisty and kind of a bitch," he gives the headstone a smirk. Tatsuki's doubled over behind him, a hand of her mouth, trying to hold back a laugh.

Ichigo goes over his words. Is she really so important? He can feel it somewhere inside him. Since Rukia, he's felt a little less like he's drowning; like the pressure of the ocean floor is threatening to collapse his lungs. It's almost as if he can breathe again. After his mother's murder, it'd always kind of felt like he was inhaling through blood. It tainted everything. Ichigo finds himself sure that if he can just take Rukia's hand, without her doing anything excepting being who she is, he'll feel more like he's living. Not just surviving.

But then, would she even want to date him? His brows furrow at the thought and he realizes that he's not sure. He's not even sure that Rukia knows. But it doesn't really matter. If she turns him down, he'll accept that. As long as she's around, he guesses that's probably enough. He doesn't want to be without her in his life, but he doesn't necessarily need her to love him. He doesn't necessarily need to love her. They're good together, in whatever form. They're water and oil in a jar. Touching and separate. Only mixing in volatile situations. It's good. He can feel himself grin with the resolve.

"You do not have permission."

The hair on Ichigo's forearms prickle. Not because the words catch him off guard or he's spooked. It's more like he's bristling. Ichigo knows the man he turns to see is Kuchiki Byakuya because his picture was sprinkled in between the pictures of Rukia on the computer screen the previous night. The man is the definition of regal. He's wearing a black suit with cuff links that glint like they're made of gold. His tie is red and it is clearly silk. His hair is long but not a single strand is out of place. There's a distinct off-putting aura about the man that Ichigo doesn't quite appreciate. Out of the corner of his eye he can see Tatsuki raising an eyebrow at the other man behind Byakuya. Clearly she doesn't know who he is, but Ichigo does. He's seen him in a picture.

"Any particular reason?" Ichigo asks, his attention back on Byakuya.

"Soon Rukia will be returning to Tokyo," Byakuya says. His features do not move an inch, but his words are icy with distaste and contempt. Ichigo's brow knits.

"Funny," he says, "does Rukia know this?" but Byakuya is apparently through talking about the subject.

"Don't ever visit my wife's grave again," he says, and brushes past him. The man behind Byakuya (Ichigo can't remember what his name is) follows his lead, but as he passes he hits Ichigo in the chest with the palm of his hand. Ichigo catches the card which falls when the man drops his hand. They make eye contact for just a moment before he's behind Ichigo, and Ichigo scowls because he's now thoroughly pissed off.

"Bastard," he mumbles to the two. He's about to get into a verbal war with the two, but Tatsuki catches the front of his shirt and is forcibly dragging him away from the men.

"H-hey!" Ichigo yells, struggling against her. Tatsuki wants to roundhouse kick him into tomorrow but she wants them out of there more.

"Shut up," she hisses. Ichigo fights her all the way to the entrance and finally manages to knock her hand away (mostly because she's relaxed her hold) only when they're on the sidewalk and walking away from the cemetery.

"Pick your fights better, Ichigo," Tatsuki says, rolling her strained wrist in the palm of her other hand, "Kuchiki Byakuya has more pull in all of Japan than just about anyone, don't piss him off."

"He's got a stick up his ass and the social appeal of a stop sign in winter," Ichigo says.

"It doesn't matter," Tatsuki counters. Ichigo scoffs but doesn't respond, he looks down at the card the other man slammed into his chest. It's a business card.

 _Abarai_ _Renji._

That's right, Renji is the name of the red haired punk in Rukia's photo. The tattoos and longer hair are really the only difference between the younger man in the photo and the guy Ichigo really wishes he would have punched. The card says Armed Security and has a personal phone number and email address. Ichigo crumbles the card in his clenched fist and then shoves it into his pocket.

Ichigo is still seething about the encounter between Renji and Byakuya when he and Tatsuki arrive at her dojo. It's closed, but Tatsuki's got a key, as one of the mentors to lower belts, and she lets them in. They square off on the center of the mat and bow to one another.

"So," says Tatsuki, swinging a kick toward Ichigo's head, "what're you going to do?"

Ichigo throws up his forearm to block by his ear and grabs her leg with his other hand. He's not as skilled as Tasuki is at talking and sparing at the same time.

"I think I'm going to ask Rukia to go watch fireworks or something," he says. Tatsuki laughs.

"Kuchiki won't be pleased," she says and falls to her back, Ichigo lurches forward and she kicks his feet out from under him. They both jump back up quickly in recovery.

"Which one?" He smirks.

* * *

 _Oh god the out of character-ness of this entire chapter makes me want to vomit, I am so sorry. I'm worried that maybe I'm introducing characters too quickly, but this is following my original story progression, so maybe it's okay. Rukia's coming back next chapter, rejoice in the banter and IchiRuki-ness of the two of them back at it again._

 _Also, I must say, I'm very surprised that no one commented on Tatsuki's fondness toward shoujo last chapter … !_

 _The last thing I have to say is that I, obviously, do not live in Japan. In fact, I live in the US, its systems are (unfortunately) the ones I am most familiar with. So I'll be using my knowledge of the U.S. military and our measuring system and such, I know that affects the accuracy and flow of this story in many ways … and I'm really very sorry about that. :'(_

 _Also, it won't be for awhile yet, but I'm excited to make Renji a more prominent figure. For those of you who don't know (and how can you know) I love Renji a lot._


	8. Chapter 8

Awkward Encounters at the Local Graveyard

 _IchiRuki_

* * *

Ichigo breathes deeply. Ichigo runs a hand through his messy hair, idly he thinks maybe it's time for a haircut. Ichigo considers going home, and then decides against it. Ichigo smirks down at the flowers in his hand.

They are gloriosa daisies, but he doesn't know this. He's never been one for flower names, really, despite his maybe strangely misplaced affinity for them. It occurs to him that the same sentiment could be used in association with the flowers' caregiver. Strangely misplaced affinity, he thinks. Rukia, he thinks. Deciding that now is as good a time as any to make a fool of himself he heads for Rukia's door. The flowers had been a last minute decision; something to lighten the mood more than a truly gentlemanly gesture. Honestly, they are a buffer.

Rukia's garden is looking very nice lately. Ichigo noted, upon walking past it, that Rukia seems to be in the process of replanting and remodeling. Her gardening equipment is set up on the porch and there are small mounds of freshly placed mulch around the new flowers. Most of them are yellow, some are orange. It's all very bright. Ichigo rubs his neck to ease tension and so that he can remind himself not to do it when they are talking, and then he knocks on Rukia's door. The sound is clear and there is no indication of hesitance.

Rukia sets the plate in her hand on the dish rack and looks with annoyance at the door. If it's another door to door salesman offering her a subscription to some magazine she is sure she will lose her shit. She may even throw something at him. This will be the third one in a week and she is annoyed and she is irritable, and as she wipes her hands on her dress, her eyes narrow, briefly, before they widen and she readies herself for the act of a polite and courteous resident. She unlocks the door and opens it tentatively, blinking innocently at her feet.

"I'm so sorry," she says, her voice is like honey, "but I'm afraid my parents aren't home and I haven't got any money of my own." She blinks twice, two large and disarming eyes raise to meet the intruder's.

Kurosaki Ichigo looks back at her in some amusing mixture of offense and disgust. One eyebrow is raised in question but his expression is blanched.

"Oh," she says, the act falls immediately as she smirks, leaning up against her doorframe, "it's only you." Ichigo has the good sense to look mildly offended, but he's still recovering from her innocent schoolgirl routine and his wavering expressions give Rukia the distinct impression that he's never directly had to deal with door-to-door salesmen.

"What the hell," he says. Rukia only chuckles.

"What do you want, strawberry?"

The two haven't talked in awhile.

Rukia hates to admit it, because she likes to believe that she's a fairly confident individual who is in control of her life, but she has been avoiding him. He's got a little too much insight into her life and she finds it difficult to maintain the distance she wants with him when they're around each other. It's to the benefit of both of them if they simply cut off contact. She doesn't want him to be hurt, not really, or at least nothing more serious than a few bruises on the shin. It's an involuntary reaction, but she brings her hand up to her right shoulder, rubbing it lightly. It's been awhile, but the feeling of metal ripping though her flesh feels fresh and real. To avoid looking at Ichigo's eyes with such a vivid memory replaying in her mind, hers flicker down and in that moment she sees the daisies. Immediately rage flares in her stomach and she glances at her garden and then back at the boy in front of her. She'll kill him, she thinks, he's got to be the most annoying idiot she's ever met. Ichigo catches her eye, looks down at the flowers, and then offers them to her in the most arrogant display of stupidity Rukia has ever witnessed.

"Moron," she seethes, snatching them from his hands. She turns from him then, and goes to find a vase. Because, if they must be ripped out of their little plots in the ground, she might as well enjoy them for the next couple days.

"What do you want?" She asks again. Ichigo, she's mildly surprised to notice, hasn't stepped past the threshold of her door. He's imposing and she gets the impression he lacks a certain amount of tact, so she'd naturally assumed he'd follow her in of his own volition. She puts the vase on her bar and then puts her hands on her hips. Ichigo raises an eyebrow again, constantly amazed by just how off-putting this one, very small individual manages to be. Despite his efforts not to, he runs a hand over his neck again.

"I came to ask you out," he says. For a moment nothing is said and they stare at each other, both seeming to process the words.

Rukia is dumbfounded, to say the least. And she's mildly annoyed that Ichigo is looking at her as if something is wrong and she is the one to blame.

"What?" She blinks, stupidly.

"You know," says Ichigo, he moves a hand erratically in front of him as if to gesture to what she's supposed to know. He looks annoyed, "a date."

"You want to ask me out on a date?" Rukia repeats, more out of confusion than anything.

"Is that so hard to believe?" Ichigo frowns. Rukia can't decide if he looks angry or embarrassed.

"Kind of," she admits. But they're in unfamiliar territory here and Rukia is looking for solid ground. It's easy to squabble with Ichigo, it's comfortable to squabble with Ichigo, too. She backtracks and looks at the daisies, suddenly angry and she's glad for the distraction. "Wait … did you really pull up my garden to give me flowers to ask me on a date?"

Ichigo's smirk has returned ten-fold because the buffer has worked.

"You idiot," she seethes, stalking back toward him. He holds up his hands in something like a peace offering, but Rukia sees that there is no regret in the tension of his shoulders or the sparkle of his eyes and she reaches on tippy toes to grab him by the hair and pull him down to her, giving her chilliest glare. It's easier to do when their eyes are at level, but Rukia can't help noticing that despite the consistent spikiness of the orange locks, they're really rather soft. Ichigo's got a smirk plastered across his face, unbothered.

"You said it yourself," he begins, "offering flowers will get me into, and I quote, 'all sorts of things.'"

Rukia thinks back to the day they first met. Thinks back to her words and suddenly let's go of his hair, putting the same hand over her face to hide the smile that is forming there. She doesn't want him to see it, doesn't want him to know that she appreciates that he remembered. Really, really doesn't want him to know that he's getting to her.

Ichigo extends back to full height and she hears him again,

"Go out with me…"

It's not a statement, but it's not quite a question either. It's more like he's opening up the floor to the possibilities. Rukia drops her hand to look at him, a light smirk on her lips.

"No," she says.

She gets pleasure out of seeing his face turn into a grumpy scowl, but she thinks she knows what type of person he is, so he's probably not offended that he's been turned down as much as he is surprised by it.

"Why?" Ichigo asks. Rukia pushes him lightly out the door, following, and closes it behind them, not wanting to let anymore cold air out. Ichigo lets it happen, her hand on his chest feels nice, he can't deny it, but his eyes still hold questions and he's stubbornly staring at her.

"I don't date younger men?" Rukia says, jokingly.

"I may be younger, but you look way younger. People would be looking at me weird, not you," Ichigo counters. Rukia ignores the dig.

"Your hair annoys me?"

Ichigo fluffs his hair a bit, self-consciously grabbing a few strands. He's scowling. Rukia chuckles. She rubs her hand over her bicep and then looks at him sincerely.

"Look, Ichigo," she says, seriously, "I don't want to be in a relationship." There's a lot of weight behind her words that her violet eyes beg him not to question, and Ichigo won't push her, but he's talked with her now. And he sees the pain and he wants to protect her and he wants to be with her.

"Fine," says Ichigo. Rukia breaths relief and every muscle in her body relaxes when she hadn't even noticed they'd been tense. She grins up at him in thanks. His eyes are mischievous, though.

"No date," he says, "fine." Rukia cocks an eyebrow at him, "but I've already got tickets to this movie tomorrow night …" he lets his words trail, judging her reaction, when she looks like she doesn't quite understand, he continues: "Let's go together."

"No," she responds.

"I'll invite some friends, it'll be a group thing," he counters.

"No," she says again.

"I'll buy the popcorn," he says.  
"I have work tomorrow," she's reaching now – tomorrow is Friday.

"You can still work," Ichigo smirks, "how often do you actually get out?"

Rukia stops … thinking. Every few weeks she and Rangiku, her work friend and ex-military recruiter, go out and get drinks. That counts, right?

"I have a life," Rukia says lamely.

"C'mon, midget," Ichigo smirks. Rukia rolls her eyes, crosses her arms, tries to look put-upon.

"Fine," she mutters, "you're buying the popcorn," belatedly, she adds, "and the drinks."

Ichigo smirks. He is considering who he'll invite to hang out tomorrow, and decides he'll text everyone and see what they're up to. Except, of course, Keigo.

Rukia is wondering if this is such a good idea.

* * *

 _Some pre-fluff to the fluff of next chapter! How'd I do with characterization? Eight chapters in and we're finally starting to get traction with the IchiRuki! I didn't even attempt to edit this chapter, I'm thinking I should probably get a beta to help me out... Whiiiich brings me to this: if anyone wants to beta this story that'd be great? If you want to, I can send you the chapters a couple days before I plan to post and you can read them so I don't have to feel bad about putting up an error-riddled chapter. And you can tell me if I strayed too far from character and you can inform me of some annoying blunders or anything that just doesn't seem quite right. Or you can just continue to be an awesome reviewer and I can take the extra ten minutes it'd take to proofread (it's just so taxing!)_

 _Anyway, tell me what you think of this chapter, I know not much happened, but if I didn't post it as is y'all would be waiting awhile for the chapter, because as it turns out, I'll be rather busy these next couple of weeks. (Job searching ... I really need a job.)_


	9. Chapter 9

Awkward Encounters at the Local Graveyard

 _ichiruki_

* * *

Rukia has thought up and subsequently dismissed nearly every viable excuse in her arsenal of reasons not to go see a movie with Ichigo and his friends when he rings her doorbell at just after seven. She's not sure what she'll do, she won't know anyone but Ichigo, she'll have to be nice. It's easy enough to put on her act of sweet innocence, but it can be taxing, too and it's Friday and she doesn't really want to try to _be_ anything. Rukia thinks briefly of Renji, her best friend, now estranged, who was so crass that being anything other than herself was impossible. Ichigo reminds her of Renji in some ways. She also thinks of her captain, who defended her so vehemently, who she worshiped and then left behind, she thinks of her brother, their horrible fight those few years ago and it suddenly dawns on Rukia that excluding Chappy, the rabbit in her garden who eats her morning glories and vegetable compost, (who she doodles on everything she creates) Rukia doesn't really have many friends anymore. Ichigo grins at her as he introduces his friends. Rukia can't keep up with their names, but she watches is a sort of bewildered out-of-body state as a redhead who's name has something to do with "princess" loops an arm around hers and says, with no hidden amount of joy, how happy she is to finally meet her.

"Likewise," says Rukia, even as she's trying to recall the girl's name. Uryuu, a bespectacled kid with a near opposite demeanor from Ichigo, who is beside him, says his name again when he offers his hand for her to shake and Rukia is glad she'll at least be able to address one of them. There are two other men, a giant with shaggy hair who smiles but says nothing and a guy who looks abnormally normal compared to the rest of them. His name starts with an "m," Rukia will have to pay attention to the next time someone says it so she'll be able to call him something. He gives a small wave and says, pleasantly, "nice to meet you." Rukia plasters on her biggest smile, tell herself to suck it up, and bows deeply.

"It's nice to meet you all!" She says cheerily. Ichigo rolls his eyes.

"Stop it, I'm going to gag on the sugar, you're giving me a toothache!" He gripes and Rukia is offended enough to shoot him a glare. The redhead lets our a bubbly giggle from her side.

"Kurosaki-kun's rough around the edges but he's really a good guy," she whispers and even though Rukia already knows this, she nods her head, turns her full attention to the girl and informs her that he must have been raised in a barn. The two share a secret smile that has Ichigo scowling. Uryuu checks his watch.

"While I'm generally in favor of watching Kurosaki squirm in anger, if we don't leave shortly we'll miss the film," he tells the group. The giant beside him nods.

"Right," says Ichigo, "Rukia, grab your car keys and let's go," he jerks his head in the direction of outside.

"Why do I need my car keys?" She asks, retrieving them and her wallet off the hook by her door.

"You're driving," Ichigo says and strolls off down the front porch before her shoe has time to connect with his head.

Rukia's car has five seats, two in front, three in back. There are six people. Ichigo ends up in the trunk. It is, undoubtedly, a very uncomfortable ride. Rukia can't recall the last time she's seen someone ride in the trunk of a car. When she was a teenager, and she and her friends went somewhere in Renji's beaten up, dinky two-door, the trunk was generally reserved for her. She'd sing so loud they could hear her through the backseats, it's how they kept tabs on her. One time, just after her seventeenth birthday, when Renji had gotten pulled over for speeding she'd still been singing … which had been unfortunate because she happened to be riding with a stolen TV. They'd all gone to jail for a night and been fined for not wearing seat-belts. Renji had had to pay the speeding ticket. It had been her first offense as an adult (the juvenile offenses, of which there were many, were not public information). Three months later two of those friends were shot doing an illegal run for some much needed money and she and Renji had enlisted shortly after. It was the enlistment which had put Byakuya on her tail, strangely enough, she often wondered how he'd missed that night in jail.

Uryuu sits up front and types away on his cellphone, he turns to her briefly to apologize for his rudeness, but apparently the accountant at his father's hospital has made an error and he has to correct it before the auditors come the next week. Rukia gets the sense he doesn't frequently get out and she mildly wonders which of the people in the backseat has convinced him to come tonight. The redhead's name is Orihime Inoue, the deceptively normal one says her name with a fond sigh when she gets on a tangent about a new food dish she wants to try to make.

"—fish paste and frosting," says Orihime. Rukia lifts an eyebrow and looks at the girl though her rear-view mirror. She's sitting at the window. The boy whose name starts with an "m" is sitting by the other window. Chad, the giant, is sitting in the middle, his arms scrunched, hands in his lap, if the lack of personal space bothers him, he doesn't show it. There's a small grin pulling at the tips of his lips, Rukia thinks he's probably heard a thousand conversations just like this one.

"That sounds … interesting," says Rukia when it becomes clear Orihime is waiting on her response. Even Uryuu stops to flash her an amused smirk.

"I know! My friend Tatsuki is coming into town next weekend, I think I'll make it for dinner one night while she's here!" Says Orihime, she clasps her hands together and smiles into the mirror so Rukia can see her.

"Tatsuki's coming into town?" Yells Ichigo from the trunk, there's a knock like he's bumped his head. Rukia chuckles quietly, Uryuu looks at her again.

"Cargo doesn't talk," Rukia yells back. She hopes he hears it.

"She didn't tell you?" Orihime turns in her seat to stare at the back of it, like Ichigo will see her, "she's coming on Friday and leaving on Monday!"

"I'm going to kill her," Ichigo says, just loud enough for the car to hear. There must be some side dialog going on between this girl, Tatsuki and Ichigo that Rukia doesn't know yet, but she finds it funny all the same.

The conversation drifts to more neutral grounds and ends with Orihime singing a one-sided duet to the radio. Rukia picks up the second part towards the end of the song because Orihime's utter determination to have someone sing with her is too sweet to be ignored. When they arrive at the theater they all pile out and Rukia doesn't feel like an outsider at all.

Ichigo crawls out of the trunk looking thoroughly abused.

"Why weren't you in the trunk?" He frowns at Rukia, "you're tiny!"

"My car, my rules," she bites back, a smirk on her lips.

"Ass," says Ichigo.

"Bastard," says Rukia.

"The movie…" reminds Uryuu.

His name is Mizuiro, Rukia knows now.

Keigo, a brown-haired basket case has been crying it for two minutes, clutching Mizuiro's legs, sobbing on the ground.

"Why wasn't I invited?" He's crying, "you guys always leave me out of the group!" Rukia gets the impression this is normal because Mizuiro keeps saying, "Now, now Asano-san," which makes the crying worse and he seems to be enjoying it. Ichigo bumps her shoulder with his and jerks his thumb to the entrance, where the others are waiting.

"They'll meet us inside," he says. She nods stupidly and follows Ichigo, leaving Mizuiro and Keigo in the parking lot, where they've gathered a crowd. Rukia isn't sure how Keigo found out that they were supposed to be doing anything tonight, but she can now confirm that Mizuiro isn't normal either. None of these people are. Nuts. Every last one of them. That's probably why Rukia feels like she fits in so well.

* * *

 _This chapter is pretty short but I really liked getting to write it. All these characters, all this friendship. This chapter was supposed to be the entire movie experience. I'm sorry I couldn't do that. I recently got a job, I'm so tired and so short on time, getting to write now is hard and everything is hard. I really liked not having to do anything tonight. Is this what being an adult is like? I don't think I like it ... anyway, next chapter will conclude the theater experience. Renji's coming back soon, too. Could you guess? I promise not to take a month to update next time. It's much too long._

 _Please review! Let me know what you think!_

 _(Sorry for copious amounts of grammar errors ... I'm so tired. :')_


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